Festival of Cooked Salami and Grepola

Two Flavours of Peasant Tradition

In Quinzano d'Oglio, a municipality in the province of Brescia in the Bassa Bresciana region, the Festival of Cooked Salami and Grepola is one of the most cherished gastronomic events of autumn. The stars are two signature products: cooked salami, awarded the De.Co. (Denominazione Comunale - Municipal Designation) to protect its authenticity, and grepola, the crunchy residue from the processing of pork fat, a symbol of the simple yet wise cuisine of the plains.

Together with Thanksgiving Day

The festival coincides with the historic Thanksgiving Day for the agricultural world, now in its seventieth edition, a union that combines peasant tradition and community spirit. The morning begins with the gathering of tractors on Viale Gandini, followed by mass in the parish church and a parade of agricultural machinery through the town streets to the cemetery, accompanied by the Banda Quinzanese in a moment of remembrance and gratitude for the work of the land.

Stalls, Exhibitors, and the 'Cuccagna' Pole

At noon, the ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opens the fair: the gastronomic area hosts over 100 exhibitors from Lombardy, alongside a craft market and an exhibition of vintage tractors. In the square, there is also the traditional 'cuccagna' pole, a game that entertains both young and old.

Communal Lunch

The convivial heart of the day is the lunch under the loggia of the Oratorio Estivo (Summer Oratory): spiedo bresciano, cooked salami with polenta and spinach are the main dishes, to be enjoyed on-site or taken away. The Festival of Cooked Salami and Grepola thus tells the agricultural and delicious soul of Quinzano d'Oglio, in Lombardy, amidst authentic flavours and traditions that endure over time.